Services & Resources

YVAS needs to ensure resources are ready and available when new animals arrive at the shelter.  Without an appointment process, YVAS would have no control over the number of pets that come into our care, and our ability to provide the best possible care for each animal would be hindered. 

YVAS requires an appointment to surrender a pet.  If you don’t want to schedule an appointment, we can refer you to other shelters and rescues in the area or provide you with information to try rehoming the animal yourself.  

The cost to care for and rehome pets can cost YVAS hundreds of dollars per pet.  As a nonprofit organization, we ask for a surrender fee to help subsidize these costs.

It is our honor to help find a new, safe home for your beloved pet.  We are frequently asked if YVAS is a “no-kill shelter” or if an animal brought to us is at risk of being euthanized.  YVAS is committed to taking in every animal in need.  Unfortunately, some animals come to us with severe or untreatable illnesses or behavior issues that prevent us from placing them in the community.  If we cannot help an animal become healthy or if it is not suitable for placement, humane euthanasia is the most compassionate alternative.  At all costs, YVAS avoids euthanizing healthy animals.  You can also indicate on your pet’s surrender form to be notified in the event they are not an adoption candidate.  

Click here to read more about YVAS’s save rate and stance on euthanasia.

There are NO time limits for any of YVAS’s animals.  We’ve had animals get adopted after spending 3-4 months at the shelter and we don’t give up until we find the perfect home.  We use all sorts of methods to highlight our long-stay animals such as social media, news, radio, and more.  Click here to read more about YVAS’s save rate and stance on euthanasia.

If you contact YVAS, we can let you know if your pet was adopted or if he/she is still with us.  We also encourage you to watch our website as we frequently update the status of the animals in our care.  However, we are not able to share adopter contact information with a pet’s previous owner. 

If we can find a way for your pet to remain a member of your family, that is our first priority; however, we know that sometimes it’s not possible to keep a pet. Before making the decision to surrender, please consider all of your options. Contact us today to learn more about alternatives to surrendering your pet and other re-homing options. 

YVAS has also decided to offer another option for rehoming a pet: Shelter Skip.  Our Shelter Skip Program is an online platform designed to keep animals out of the shelter through direct home placement.  In other words, pets go from one home to another, skipping the shelter altogether.

YVAS is able to provide temporary protection and boarding for pets who are victims of domestic violence or displaced because of it.  With a grant received from Red Rover, YVAS can offer boarding and care, free of charge, for pets of domestic violence victims who seek shelter and services through YWCA.  Click here for more information about this program.